(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for the dispensing of liquid from containers, the sterilization and/or cleansing of at least part of the dispensing apparatus and/or methods therefor.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a number of inventions have been directed towards providing a liquid dispensing system, of these a number are directed towards providing for the switching of the container being dispensed from, eg. soon after a container has become empty, it is switched out of the circuit and a different full container, if one is available, is switched into the circuit. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,128 relates to a beverage dispensing system having a single source of pressure for a plurality of containers of a particular beverage and a dispensing line for each container communicating with a separate tap. The taps for a particular beverage are mounted together and each is provided with a lock, thereby allowing the operator to select which tap will operate at a given time and accordingly disable the other tap(s). The run out of a particular container must be protected by the operator, there is no provision of the automatic detection of the run out of a container and/or the automatic switching to dispensing from another full container.
Also disclosed in European Patent Specification No. 487214 is beverage dispensing system cleaning apparatus. However, the beverage dispensing system cleaning apparatus involves the disconnection of the connectors to the various containers and the provision of a flushing sleeve which is located upon the outlet of the beer taps. The beer taps must also be manually opened in order to provide an outlet for the cleaning fluid. It does not provide for the automated cleaning the beverage dispensing system.
In order to provide for the switching between a beverage container which is empty or nearly so and a container which is full it is useful to have a means to detect the build up of gas or absence of a liquid in a liquid supply line. To this end UK Patent Specification No. 1384607 provides means including a chamber a float within the said chamber said float supporting a first permanent magnet below a second permanent magnet which is located above and outside the chamber. The magnets being so oriented so that they mutually repel whereby movement in response to a movement in the magnet supported by the float results in a fluid signal from the fluidic device. This signal is used to provide an indication of the build up of gas or absence of liquid in the liquid supply. There is no provision of providing for the detection of liquid run out in a substantially unaltered conduit. There is further no disclosure of the use of electrical, in particular, solid state means to detect the run out of a liquid.
With a `centralised` or downstream means of detecting the build up of gas, rather than detecting and control means at each container, it is not possible to avoid gas filled lines, which will cause frothing and dispensing problems when a new container is connected to that line, or will at least require additional means to bleed or otherwise remove the gas from the lines.
In practice such a system also requires providing means to prevent drawoff of liquid during changeover from a container which is empty to a container which is full ie. continuous drawoff of liquid during changeover is not possible.